By Bondry Kilenga
The Resident District Commissioner-RDC of Kotido district, Charles Ichogor, has issued a stern warning to individuals engaging children in child labour, saying they will face the wrath of the law.
According to Ichogor, in Kotido many children, mostly girls aged 8-17 years, are employed daily in homes and businesses; performing tasks such as washing clothes, working in gardens, and hawking merchandise.
He says these children earn between 2,000 to 5,000 shillings per day, which is often used to purchase food for their families.
Ichogor says the practice has led to a significant number of children dropping out of school, with parents encouraging them to abandon education for casual labor.
He notes that this has exposed adolescent girls to sexual activities, resulting in early pregnancies.
Statistics from the district education office indicates that on 20% of children who enroll to primary one complete primary seven.
According to the international labor organization (ILO), child labor is defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and dignity and is harmful to their physical or mental development.
